


Robin Reversal

by RedHoodie1723



Series: Robin Reversal [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Angst, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Neglect, Damian Wayne is Nightwing, Dick Grayson is Robin, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Dick Grayson, Hurt Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd is Alive, Jason Todd is Robin, Kyle and Jason are BFFs, Robin reversal, Serious Injuries, Sorry Not Sorry, Tim Drake is Red Robin, because, but not Bruce, no proofreading we die like robins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-04-08 00:30:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19096069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedHoodie1723/pseuds/RedHoodie1723
Summary: Growing up in Crime Alley, Jason has learned to never trust anybody. It is something every street kid learns at some point, and if they don't, well, they usually don't live long enough to learn. But, when Bruce Wayne took him in, Jason thought things could change. He had a father, two older brothers, and soon enough, he had a younger one as well. But he should have known it wouldn't last.Jason is faced with the question of whether or not he can rely upon his family and his family might just have to ask whether they can trust Jason.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Robin Age Reversal AU. Dick is now the youngest and Damian is the eldest. Tim and Jason have swapped ages as well. Damian was the first person to be Robin before he moved on a took on the name Nightwing. Tim was Damian's successor but later become Red Robin. Dick and Jason share the mantle of Robin, although Jason has had it longer and is better trained. Damian is roughly 19-20, Tim is about 17, Jason is 14-13, and Dick is 10. Damian is still the only biological son of Bruce. If you have any questions about the AU that I didn't answer here or in the fic, just comment and I'll try to answer the best I can. Enjoy !:)

It was Saturday night in Gotham City. The air was frigid and snow was falling in sheets, although this was to be expected in the winter months in Gotham. Despite the bitterness of the weather, Gotham City was still a concrete jungle of movement. In the downtown, criminal activity was going down as usual, and in the uptown, galas were in full swing attended by the rich, powerful, and corrupt. But even so, it was quiet, there were not any break-ins by the Sirens, nor unexpected Joker attacks. The people were at peace for once, even if they knew it wouldn't last.

Still, not everything was going to go right and just because the city itself was safe didn't mean the outer docks were as well.

Situated on the edge of Gotham Harbor was a row of a warehouse just outside the actual city limits. Most of these warehouses had been vacant for a while and so that should be the first clue that something was going down there. The second clue was that a frater with Lex Corp supply crates was docked by the last warehouse in the row. Lex Corp hardly ever did business with Gotham, seeing as their main competitor, Wayne Industries, was located there as well. But when Lex Luthor decides to do business in Gotham, it is most likely something illegal, as proven by the shipment.

Crates full of AK-47s, hand grenades, attack drones, among other things, were being loaded off the ship by a bunch of Two-Face's lackeys, half of them dressed in black, the other half in white. Half of the people had guns and half had knives. Half were men, and the other half, women. Say what you want about Two-Face, but you cannot deny he is dedicated to his theme.

With twenty total men patrolling the area between where the ship was docked and around the warehouse, and twenty more inside, each well trained and prepared to kill whatever moves, it was hard to infiltrate the warehouse. Hard, but not impossible.

Dick Grayson-Wayne was supposed to be home, studying in the warmth of Wayne Manor. Instead, he had managed to convince Jason Todd-Wayne to smuggle him out of the house. Normally the two boys took turns playing Robin, with the exception of Mass Arkham Breakouts, but not today. Damian Wayne and Tim Drake-Wayne were supposed to be taking down these henchmen, at the request of their father. Instead, the older boys had gotten caught up in one of the gang fights between the two villains henchmen. With their father out of commission due to an injury he received while on a Justice League mission, it was up to Jason and Dick to take down Two-Face’s goons. Whether or not their family knew or approved.

The two brothers moved between the crates, completely silent expect the sounds of their hearts. They took down men as they traveled closer to the heart of the warehouse, where Two-Face himself was situated. With nine men down and forty to go Jason and Dick spilt up.

“Oh god, he’s gonna kill us.” One of the men with a gun said. He was holding a clipboard and looking into one of the many crates. His partner, a woman dressed in black, glanced around nervously before turning back to look inside the crate. Curious, Jason crept forward, listening into their conversation.

“Not if he don’t know.” She said with a thick Gotham accent. “Louis and Katie are also takin’ inventory. He might think they done it. N’ we can always find whatever’s in here.”

The man thought for a second, drawing out a tablet. “According to the camera footage, it was somma the Penguin’s boys. We’ll just show the boss and he’ll get it for us.”

“SHOW THE BOSS! Hans, are ya crazy!” The woman exclaimed, snatching the tablet from his hands. With a scowled she started playing with the device before the man, Hans, took it back. “What are you doing?” He hissed. “I’m fixin’ this mess. Just delete the footage ya dingus. Then the boss won’t know it was us who lost it.” She said, gesturing towards the crate, the contents of which, Jason was still unaware of. 

“He’ll find out if it’s lost even if we do delete the footage, genius. Let’s get outta here while we still can, maybe we can find the-"

"No, no. Just get rid of the evidence. We'll just blame in on Katie n' Louis. I mean, what's the boss gonna use something called 'X-Kryptonite'" Jason let out a gasp. Bruce had mad him memorize any and all types of Kryptonite a year ago when Superman came into contact with Black Kryptonite. X-Kryptonite is rare, so rare that even Batman thought there wasn't any left. And boy did Jason wish that was true. X-Kryptonite gave humans temporary powers, similar to that of a Kryptonian. If it's true, and Penguin really did get his greedy hands on it, then the consequences could be catastrophic.

"Did you hear that?" The woman said, raising her knife and looking around. Jason held his breath, hoping they couldn't pinpoint where he was from just his gasp.

"Yeah, but where did it come-"

"THERE!" The woman yelled. The man whipped around and he and Jason locked eyes just before the man open-fired. Leaping out of the way, Jason quickly scaled one of the support columns. Jumping onto the metal beams holding up the warehouse roof, Jason sprinted towards the center of the building. Right to where Two-Face was, in hopes of finding his little brother and knocking the criminal out quickly.

The use of the man's machine gun quickly drew the attention of the other goons, some coming in from the outside. Soon enough, they were all trying to shoot him and being in an open space that he was certainly didn't help Jason.

Jumping off the beam, Jason landed on his feet next to a large compartment of what seemed to be flamethrowers. He rushed through the maze of crates, taking down men and women whenever he came across them. Turning a corner he came face to face with Two-Face's face (lol, face alliteration).

Jason hesitated before dodging the fist Dent sent flying at his face. Crouching to his knees, Robin stuck out his leg, hitting Dent in the shins. The villain flew over, but not before grabbing Robin's arm and throwing him into a stack of taser guns. Grunting, Jason stood up about to throw himself back into the fight when another Robin jumped in and kicked Harvey across the face, causing his nose to start visibly gushing. The other boy walked over to Jason, pulling him to his feet.

"Holy Two-Face Batman, that was great!" The younger exclaimed.

"B ain't even here." Jason let out a sigh. His brother just smiled and shrugged.

"This won't stop me you insolent brats." Two-Face hissed, struggling to his feet. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?" The boy quipped. Two-Face just smirked before saying;

"When will Batman have time to stop me, when he is too busy mourning you." Whipping his gun out of the holster, Two-Face level it a Jason before pulling the trigger.

Jason heard the bang. Jason saw the bullet. Jason smelt the gunpower. He still couldn't process what was going on. This wasn't the first time he had been shot at, not by a long shot. But never before had he been shot, because how could he? Robin was invincible. But this was certainly the first time that it been a major villain and most definitely the first time it had been almost point blank. Suddenly, Jason felt his body moving, falling towards the ground. He didn't feel pain, and he didn't feel and bullet wounds, so why was there blood everywhere?

Turning his head, he saw the villain sprint away. But what about the blood? Looking down, he certainly saw a bullet wound, but it wasn't his.

Dick Grayson lay on the cold, concrete floor of the warehouse. Not moving, not breathing. And Jason? He couldn't breathe either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I can't write violence very well. I will work on that for later chapters tho. Hope y'all enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Chapter 2! This one has Damian and Tim in it, but Bruce and Alfred are mentioned and will be introduced later. Enjoy!!!

Tim and Damian danced across the rooftops of Gotham with one target in mind. They had come from the Diamond District, where they were fighting some of the Penguin's men. The henchmen were attempting to take over one of Two-Face's underground operations. The two vigilantes made quick work of the goons.

They were heading to the docks where Two-Face was bringing in new armaments. Tim knew that Jason and Dick were already there. They had snuck out of the Batcave, but even with all the training both boys had received, nobody can escape the Batman. Bruce had notified them as soon as the Robin's had left.

Damian was going as fast as possible to the docks, with Tim right behind him, but Tim was worried it wasn't enough. He has witnessed first-hand how much trouble the boys could get in within a short amount of time. Add in a Supervillain to the mix, and Tim could only hope nothing too horrible had happened.

Spotting the warehouse where the deal was supposed to go down, Tim picked up the pace. Just when he was about to jump through the opaque window, Tim heard a single gunshot. His heart leaped through his chest as he leaped through the window after Damian. His older brother let out a colorful string of words before sprinting towards a pile of crates. Tim was, as usual, one step behind his older brother.

Turning the corner, Tim came face to face with Damian holding their youngest brother close to his chest. Jason was curled against the crates, seemingly in shock. Tim crept closer to Damian and let out a strangled breathe when he saw Dick. The boy was five shades paler than normal and there was blood splattered all over his chest. The worse of it all was the bullet wound situated on his lower torso.

Tim was shocked, he had never imagined someone would hurt his little brother. Tears threatened to spill as Dick breaths started to grow shorter, but looking at Damian, he knew he had to do something. Tim's older sibling was holding Dick close to him, gripping the boy's arms tight, as if he would disappear. Damian seemed to be frozen and Tim couldn't blame him. Tim loved Dick, he really did, but Damian cared for Dick in a way that neither Tim, Jason, or their father could replicate. But Tim also knew that if he didn't shake Damian out of his trance, then Dick will bleed out and, well, Tim didn't want to think about it.

"Nightwing," Tim's voice was hoarse, he sounded like a wreck, God knows he certainly felt like a wreck. "We need to get him out of here." Seconds went by with no response. "Damian, please."

"N, we need to move Dickie," Jason spoke up, he voice cracking as he said Dick's nickname. Tim really felt horrible for Jason, it was one thing to see the aftermath of what happened, but Jason was there when his little brother was shot. Apparently, Damian did not feel the same way. His head snapped up, a harsh glare on his face. Jason whimpered, Tim didn't blame him, Damian can be truly terrifying when he wanted to be.

"Quiet, brat," Damian addressed Jason harshly. Jason shrunk back as Damian stood up. Tim heard the Batmobile's engine outside, knowing their dad had sent it. Damian stormed off to the car in a way that let them know how angry he was while keeping Dick secure. Tim turned to Jason, who looked like he was about to start crying. The elder picked him up and Tim carried to the boy back to the car.

 

 

* * *

 

Damian was seething. Dick was in the medical ward of the Batcave right now with Leslie Thompkins and Alfred. Their father downstairs in the cave to follow up on any leads of where Two-Face might have disappeared too. This was not unexpected. Bruce usually threw himself into his work whenever one of his children got hurt and he could not help.

That left the three remaining brothers upstairs. One of which, Damian wanted to strangle. Jason Todd was curled into himself on the couch, grasping a pillow as if it was his lifeline. Tim was sitting right next to Jason, threading his hands through Jason's hair, trying to calm the panicking boy down. Damian had just entered the room, having gone to check up on Dick.

Tim looked up at the man, "How is he?".

"Pennyworth wouldn't allow me inside during the surgery," Damian responded.

"Do you think he will be okay?" Jason asked, much quieter than normal. It pained Tim to hear him like this. Jason was usually such a rambunctious kid, but Tim knew he was acting like this because he blamed himself.

"Why would you care?" Damian jeered, turning to face the 13-year-old. Jason hesitated for a moment, before responding;

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? WHAT DO I MEAN?!" Damian shouted, waving his hands in the air as if it were obvious. "It is your fault he is in the condition that he is. If it wasn't for your ineptitude Grayson would be right here in the Manor. He would be safe." Jason flinched at every word.

"I'm sorry! I-I didn't know he would get hurt, we just wanted to help you." The boy blubbered. Nearly in tears for the second time that night.

"That is no excuse, Todd," Damian spat Jason's name with such venom that the child let go of the pillow and curled up into Tim's chest, his fingers grabbing onto the gray shirt he had changed into after they got home.

"Damian stop," Tim said, leveling a glare at his older brother. "Blaming someone is not going to help Dick get better."

"Yes, but maybe it would be enough for Todd to learn how foolish his actions were before he goes and nearly kills someone else."

"DAMIAN!" Tim shouted.

"WHAT?! You cannot tell me that isn't true. Grayson could die because of Todd's actions and you expect me to believe it will not happen again," Damian yelled, stepping closer so that he was standing over Tim. Tim, not wanting to be at a disadvantage, stood up, Jason still in his arms. Damian had a permanent scowl on his face and his hands were clenched by his side. He was standing at his full height, nearly 4 inches taller than Tim.

"Damian stop this. You know as well as I, that Dick would not have gone unless he wanted to. It is not Jason fault that Dick was out there and you haven't even bothered to ask what had happened." Tim said, trying to keep his cool.

"Oh what and you know?" Damian sneered, sarcasm and skepticism in his voice.

"Well, no. But I'm not the one attacking my little brother now am I?" Tim said, his voice rising as he pulled Jason closer to himself.

"Funny you should accuse me of attacking my 'little brother'," Damian said with, I kid you not, actual air quotes, "when the only little brother I actually care about is bleeding out because of the brat in your arms!"

Tim did not know how to respond to that. He knew that Damian and he fought a lot, but this was taking things too far. If Tim had any less dignity he might have started to cry. But he did retain a few shreds of pride, so instead, he growled before opening his mouth to tell Damian a few select things. Seemingly, Jason felt the same, because he suddenly pushed away from Tim before he could say anything. Startled, Tim let Jason go.

Jason sprinted out the door and out of sight. Tim waited for a second to process what had happened before running after the boy, leaving Damian to reflect on what he just said. He sprinted up the main staircase and into the hallway where all of their bedrooms were. Tim saw Jason disappear into his room before slamming the door shut. Tim reached for the doorknob, trying to turn it a few times, before coming to the conclusion that it was locked. Sighing, Tim called out to the boy within the room;

"Jay, can you open the door?" Silence "Jason please?" Silence again. He couldn't hear anything from within the room, no movement, nothing. Tim knocked on the door, only to get the same answer as he did before. He drew out a bobby pin at he had used to pin so of his hair out of his face and unlocked the door.

Slowly, Tim opened the door to a wrecked room. Jason's closet was empty, excluding some of the fancier clothes Bruce had bought him. The boy's backpack was gone and all his work was thrown to the floor. His Wonder Woman themed piggy bank lay in pieces on the floor, all the money gone. But the worst of all it was the window. Left open, curtains blowing in the wind as the night air crept into the room. Tim looked out the edge and saw the bushes and leaves beneath were trampled, most likely by a little boy.

Tim almost wished Jason had been kidnapped, he could find him then. But he knew that wasn't true. Jason Todd had run away and when Jason doesn't want to be found, he won't be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super sorry, but I'm not very good at emotion. I will try to work on that for later chapters. Comment if you have any constructive criticism, it would be very much appreciated! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just warning any people who are following this story, I will be away for a week with no wifi or electronics, so no updates til I get back. Sry! <3
> 
> Ok, so we have a Bruce and some more Jay angst, but I added in another character that wasn't originally in the plan. Enjoy! :)

Jason had trouble adjusting to the Manor at first. He pocketed any small item that looked expensive (much to the annoyance of Alfred) and shoveled down food like it was his last meal. But, over the months he started to relax. He became more comfortable around Bruce, following him around like a puppy when he wasn't exploring the massive library inside Wayne Manor. As Jason grew to like his surroundings, Bruce grew to like the boy. Jason was a peculiar child. He left thousands upon thousands of notes within the books he read, but he would dare fold a corner of a page to keep his place. He was OK with wearing red ties, but not blue. He would ensure Bruce slept a certain amount in a week and bring him food he and Alfred prepared when he hasn't eaten in a while, but he often neglected to take care of himself unless Bruce or Alfred reminded him.

The last one hadn't made any sense to Bruce until Alfred explained, and did it hurt. Jason blamed himself for Jason's mother's death. He thought that if he had taken better care of her, she wouldn't have OD. Bruce knew that Jason did the best he could and Bruce told Jason so, but that didn't stop Jason from keeping a careful watch over him. Due to this, Bruce started eating healthier and sleeping on a semi-normal schedule. Bruce knew that if he took responsibility for himself, instead of driving his body to the edge when a relatively difficult case popped up, that Jason wouldn't need to do it for him. So when Bruce broke his arm he took the week off, to let it heal. But then Dick was shot and Jason ran away and suddenly Bruce didn't know what to do. Batman had no contingency plan for this, no route to take in the case of emergencies, so Bruce did what he could and no broken arm was going to stop him from finding his son.

Lots of people believe that the Wayne Industries Tower was built in a way that let the inhabitants feel as if they were towering over the city, but in truth, it was designed like a watchtower. Not the rule Gotham, but to guard it. If one were to sit atop the Tower, they would be able to see the entirety of Gotham, and so that is where Batman went first. Or more specifically, the gargoyle on top of the building.

Another peculiarity about Jason was that he had a favorite gargoyle. Bruce couldn't count the number of times he had to meet Jason up here. So it was no surprise to find that Jason was not here. Bruce's son was too smart for this. He wouldn't go where Bruce would look first, or second, or third, or anywhere else Bruce might expect he go back to.

Growling, Bruce jumped off his building. His son was missing. His other son was laying on a hospital bed due to a bullet wound. Well, not according to Damian. His blood son claimed Jason did this, that Dick's near-death experience was brought about by the hands of the other Robin. Tim protested in favor of Jason, all the while refusing to look Damian in the eyes. Whatever had gone on in the Manor not only drove away Jason but affected Tim too. Bruce knew that whatever had happened was getting in the way of him staying with Dick. God, his son was just shot, and he was chasing weak leads on what he knew would be a hopeless case. Bruce knew how devoted Jason was to his training if anyone could disappear, it was him.

Bruce had no witnesses or video evidence of what happened at the warehouse or where Jason had gone. The cameras were wiped by his second youngest son just after he escaped and he knew that neither Damian and Tim knew exactly what had happened, in fact, the only two witnesses were either missing or unconscious. Two witnesses. No, not two. Two... Two-Face! The villain was there, he would know what had happened, and if Bruce beat him to hell and back for hurting his son, well nobody needed to know.

 

 

* * *

 

Jason had met Kyle Rayner a few times. The first was when the young Lantern had followed Hal Jordan into Gotham. Jason was 11 and it was his seventh night on patrol. Other than Bruce nearly throwing hands with Hal, the night was fairly pleasant. Jason talked to Kyle for a bit, and Kyle smiled at him. Jason liked his smile.

The next time Jason hadn't recognized him. It was three months later and Kyle had just returned from a space mission. Why The Guardians would let a 13-year-old wield one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy and fight in space battles was beyond Jason, but he didn't question it. Jason and Bruce had gone to one of Gotham Knights' away games in Coast City, but Bruce had to attend a meeting at the Wayne Industries Branch of Coast City, so Jason looked around the town. Kyle was in the supermarket, stocking up on some of the unhealthiest foods Jason had ever seen. His inner Alfred nearly fainted. So Jason bought Kyle some actual food before teaching him a recipe or two because not being able to cook for yourself was the eight deadly sin and no one can convince him otherwise. Jason left once Hal came back, knowing Bruce would be happy knowing he spent his time around such a 'bad influence' (Bruce's words, not his). (A/N: Ok, so in this AU Kyle is like 2 years older than Jason and Hal's ward. IDK how just go with it.)

The third time was nothing more than a shared glance and a smile. Aliens had invaded Coast City and since Jason had never seen an actual alien (Superman didn't count, he didn't look like a real alien) he decided to stow away in the BatPlane. Bruce wasn't even mad, Jason had taken a few of the uglies out himself, in fact, other than the obsessive mothering, Bruce looked proud. Kyle was there, of course, but nothing was said.

They saw each other a few time after that. For movies and team-ups, they even went to a carnival with Bruce and Hal once.

The last time was a few weeks ago, it was post-patrol for Jason. Bruce had let him go out by himself for once. But Jason messed up because Jason always messes up. How could you expect any less from the no-good street rat? It wasn't even fighting a stupid villain. Jason fell jumping from roof to roof, so now he was sitting next to his favorite Gargoyle, attempting to patch the scrapes running up and down his right arm. Kyle showed up, without an explanation, and bandaged all the cuts. Jason should have left after that, but he didn't want to leave just yet. Kyle was an artist, he found out. He attended classes when he wasn't in space. Kyle was also very good at using the ring, even only being 14, nearly 15. He recreated scenes from Jason's favorite novels and shows using glowing green figures. Kyle was also a friend. This was perhaps the most shocking discovery of the night.

Jason wasn't used to friends. On the streets, there was an understanding of what you've been through because everyone has been through it, but there weren't friends and there certainly wasn't trust. When Bruce took him in, Jason spent the majority of his time out of school reading or with his brothers. Even so, Damian didn't particularly like him and Tim was always busy or away, so Jason didn't really know him. Dick was the exception, but when was he not. He spent time with Jason and it felt good, to feel like someone cared. But reality hit him, as it always did, Dick was the Golden Child, Jason was the Street Rat, and there was nothing he could do to change that. Damian adored Dick, Tim made time to hang with Dick, and once more, Jason was alone. Once more, Jason had no one to trust.

But Jason had Kyle, because that night on the roof, Kyle promised that Jason could trust him, so that is why Jason is halfway across America breaking into Green Lantern's home. It was in a rather forgettable apartment building. Not too snobby, but not too poor.

Jason slid in through the window, carefully closing it behind him. The boy looked around, the kitchen lights were on, but there didn't seem to be anyone in there. The rest of the apartment was dark, but Jason could still see well enough with the remaining light from the sun streaming through the window. The entire living room was bathed in red and orange hues from the setting sun. It only made the art more amazing. Jason stepped forward.

There were multiple pieces on the wall and a few more set up on easels. Each just as beautiful as the next. One painting, in particular, caught Jason's eye. There was a woman holding a small boy, they looked similar. They looked like a mother and a son. They looked happy. She was holding a book in her free hand, reading to the boy sitting in her lap. They were smiling and the boy pointed at something in the book. It brought back memories of Jason's own mother which was strange because they looked nothing like the pair in the painting. But that was the sad part, Jason can't remember looking happy when he was with his mother, she loved him, Jason knew that, but she didn't care about him. She adored her son, but she always put herself first, her addiction first. That was the problem, no one cares, Damian doesn't care enough to try and be nice, Tim doesn't care enough to make time for him, Bruce doesn't care enough to notice when Jason is hurting.

Even so, Jason doesn't blame them. He always messes up. It was his fault Dick got hurt, no matter the good intentions. It seems to be the only thing Jason can do, hurt the people he loves. His mom, His dad, and now Dick. Jason just wanted it to all stop.

Suddenly Jason felt a hand rubbing circles in his back, whispers in his ear. Jason realized he was kneeling on the ground sobbing. He couldn't seem to stop though.

Kyle slowly guided Jason up and over to the couch. It was a little old and had a few paint spots on it. Jason cried into the older boys shoulder and he felt like such a baby, why was he crying so much. He was raised better than this. Pushing away from Kyle, Jason wiped his eyes and apologized.

"Don't be sorry, just talk to me," Kyle said putting his hand on Jason's shoulder.

"You probably want to know why I'm here," Jason mumbled, looking down at his hands.

"First, I want to know if you're okay?" Jason looked up at that, staring right into Kyles green eyes.

"I'm fine-" Jason started, spitting out a phrase that almost seemed like a reflex at this point.

"No, no you're not. Try again," Kyle interrupted.

"I messed up. Really bad," Jason said, "Me n' Dickie snuck out, we only wanted to help, but-but he got hurt, Kyle. Dent shot him and I just stood there, I did nothin'. He got hurt because of me, even Damian says so. I failed Kyle, I failed my little brother."

"You didn't fail Jason, Dick is still alive, right? So, you didn't fail." Kyle said, he didn't seem to have much experience in the comforting area. Kyle, noticing Jason growing paler, quickly backtracked.

"Jason, is Dick okay?" Kyle asked slowly, as if afraid of setting Jason off.

"I- I don't know. I didn't-I didn't go see, oh god, what if he's dead?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo, Kyle Rayner..... Yay, Nay??? I liked how Kyle and Jason interacted in Countdown to Final Crisis and I feel like, if given the chance, Jay and Kyle could've had a really good friendship. Oh and Hal is Kyle's guardian just cause. Comment on how you like Kyle and I might increase or decrease his time in future chapters. I was also thinking about adding in Roy or maybe Chris, idk, comment if you think I should.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update. I'd like to have an excuse, but really, I was just procrastinating. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Remember, I love comments and constructive criticism!

There was something special about waking up. In those few moments, when your problems do not make themselves known, you can have peace. But, because they are but mere moments, they do not last. Dick slowly became aware of the world around him. He was laying under scratchy sheets, and the sterile smell in the room left Dick with a bad taste in his mouth. There was a vexatious beeping sound to his left and a tightness in his chest.

Dick looked down to be met with stark white bandages wrapped tightly around his torso. An IV with a clear substance in it ran from his arm and connect to a pole beside his bad. Struggling, Dick tried to sit up, but pain flared in his chest as he did. Red started to blossom from the lower part of his torso. As he started to panic the beeping noise got quicker and his vision started to swim. 

A figure pulled Dick back into bed and messed with the IV pole before the world around him started to go dark. Dick felt his chest loosen up as he, once again, succumbed to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Dick woke again, this time there was someone in the room with him. His head hurt, and he didn't open his eyes, but the person was talking. They said something about Jason, Two-Face, rest. Dick didn't catch much of it seeing as he was slipping back into his dream, partly because of the drug, also because of the hand running through his hair.

 

* * *

 

The third time he woke, he was lying in his own bed. The soft light shining through the open windows and the Flying Graysons poster above his bed allowed him to relax into the sheets. Dick was significantly more lucid now then he was before, so this time the figure solidified into the shape of Damian Wayne. His older brother looked worn, he was frowning and there were stress lines etched into his face. The prominent bags under his eyes revealed how much sleep he had gotten recently. Damian was wearing the same black turtleneck and dress pants he was in the last time Dick saw him. Damian sat in the rolling chair at Dick's desk, facing the younger boy.

Dick shifted in the bed, letting Damian know he was awake. The ex-assassin's head shot up from where it was resting on Damian's hand. He scrambled over to the bed and sat on the edge. 

"Grayson, are you alright?" The open concern Damian showed made Dick happy. When he first showed up at the Manor, Damian was closed off and did not talk to him often. Dick, working his charm, had wormed his way into the older man's heart. Damian started to be more honest with him, sporadically expressing to the acrobat how much he cared. Dick knew that Damian loved all of them, he only wished his other brothers knew it. Tim and Damian were always at odds, Damian thought Tim was trying to replace him within the family and Tim was hurt and retaliated when Damian ignored, and on one occasion, attacked him. Over the years, their arguments have decreased in severity, but they still weren't as close and Dick and Damian. Dick knew Damian regretted it, but he also knew that Damian wasn't going to do something about it. 

Jason wasn't much better. Tim was with the Teen Titans when Jason came to live at the Manor, so Jason and Damian were practically forced to hang out. Damian tried to reach out to Jason. Dick knew Damian viewed it as a second chance. To fix what went wrong with Tim, but it didn't go as planned. Dick doesn't know exactly what happened, but he knew that it was bad, judging by Damian's reaction when it was brought up. 

"What happened?"

"You and Todd confronted Two-Face. You were shot by Dent, in the abdomen. Drake and I were able to get you home, but you lost an abundance of blood."

"Where are Tim and Jay?" Dick sat up, Damian guiding him so he didn't tear his stitches. Damian averted his eyes, staying silent. 

"Dami?" Dick tried again, "What happened?" Thousands of scenarios started flying through his head. What if Jason was shot too, is he okay? Did Tim get hurt? Did they leave because they were disappointed in Dick? He drew a shaky hand through his hair, wincing when it pulled at his stitches. 

Damian muttered something about ripping off the bandaid before facing the other boy, "Todd ran away." 

Suddenly all the air left Dick's lungs. Jason wouldn't run away, he loved it here. He loved Alfred's homemade Neopolitan ice cream. He loved Bruce's cars. He loved school. He loved the Manor's library. And he loved his family. But, if Dick was so sure that Jason wouldn't leave, why was he saying loved instead of loves.

 

* * *

 

 

Tim made another cup of coffee, debating whether or not putting a third Red Bull into the pot was worth it. Having decided to forego sleep for the second night in a row, Tim was exhausted. Tim had to put all his effort into finding Jason, all the while tracking Two-Face down because Bruce thought there might be a lead there. Tim had his doubts.

Even if the highly spontaneous villain decided to help them out of the "good" of his heart, there was no guarantee that he would have helpful information. In fact, the chances of Two-Face being either A) useless or B) angered by Batman are exponentially higher than Bruce getting anything out of Harvey Dent. But Tim understood why he was doing this. Jason was missing and right now Tim was willing to do anything to get his baby brother back.

Tim was so absorbed in hacking into Gotham surveillance networks that he didn't notice the footsteps until the man spoke to him, "Master Timothy, how are you?" Have you found anything? Tim knew the real meaning behind Alfred's words.

"Nothing is coming up on the radar, and unless he somehow managed to avoid every single camera and cell phone in Gotham, then he is long gone. I've started running an algorithm that shows the most likely escape routes Jason has taken, tickets bought between the time Jason left and now, and the airport, train station, etc. security footage. What confuses me is where would he go. Jason has left Gotham, what, three times for missions? I mean, with no attachments to the outside world, Jason could be in Madagascar for all I know!" This is what frustrated Tim about not being able to find Jason. Tim knew Jason was talented and he certainly knew how hard Jason worked to earn these skills. Other than Damian, Jason is the best in the family at disappearing. Sure, his tech skills could use some work, but Jason is brilliant, even if he doesn't act like it. In addition to the fact that Tim is double-checking himself at every turn, he would be surprised if they found Jason at all.

"Master Timothy, if I may, I believe you are going about this in the wrong way," Alfred said, turning from Tim to look at the screens. "Master Jason was hurt when he ran away, from whatever Master Damian had said to him. Normally, when Master Jason is upset, he requires comfort from another, but he won't voice it. I believe he might have gone somewhere where he wouldn't have to ask. Perhaps a friends or allies house."

"But why would he go somewhere so obvious, where we could easily find him?" Tim drew a hand through his hair. Alfred gave him the patented Alfred Look, the look he gives when someone says something stupid, particularly Bruce.

"Has it occurred to you, Master Timothy, that Master Jason might want to be found? May I remind you that Master Jason does love it here, he loves his family. I have a feeling he is not done with you lot yet," Alfred said with a soft smile, a reassuring look. Tim knew Alfred was just as worried about Jason as he was, but he wasn't wrong. Tim gave Alfred a nod before turning back to the computer.

Tim paused before altering the search conditions to focus on cities with heroes Jason's age. No, all he could do was hope. Hope for his little brother to come home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another chapter. I hope you guys like it. The final confrontation is coming up soon. So stay tuned and all that. Enjoy!
> 
> Oh, and there is a possibility that I will include Roy Harper and/or Chris Kent. Whether in the story, or epilogue, or by mention. If I get enough comments saying people like that idea, I will do it!

Jason sat Kyle's couch, a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. The other boy was sitting next to Jason in silence. Jason had just explained the situation, but now he was a little worried about the lack of response. Jason was about to open his mouth to say something when Kyle beat him to it. 

"Kryptonite X, you say?" Jason's brow furrowed, not understanding where Kyle was going with this. Sitting up straighter, Jason responded; 

"Well, yeah, but what about Dick. He could be- he-" Jason put the mug down on the coffee table before burying his face in his hands. His next words were muffled, "What if he didn't make it?" Putting a hand on Jason's shoulder, Kyle waited until Jason looked up at him. 

"Jason, Dick might be 10, but he is strong. You, Damian, and Tim rushed him out of there. If anyone could make it through that, it would be him. Besides, it has been almost two days. If something major happened, don't you think you would've heard it on the news on your train ride here? I mean, you are a pretty famous family," Kyle made a good point, but it didn't stop Jason from worrying, "Besides, I think there is a more pressing issue here." 

Jason made a confused noise before saying: "What do you mean?" 

"The Kryptonite X, if Penguin got his hands on something that could essentially turn him into a god, don't you think we should do something about that?" Jason picked up his cup, taking another long sip, pondering what Kyle said. 

"We?" Jason asked, noticing the word within Kyle's sentence. 

"Duh, dude, we just had a bonafide bonding moment, you cried on my shoulder and everything. Of course, I'm helping you." Kyle gave him a lopsided smile. Jason let out a little snort. "How about this; we take out Penguin, destroy the Kryptonite X, then we visit your baby brother."

Jason sat there. On one hand, Kyle was right, Kryptonite X in the wrong hands could be very dangerous. Jason knew it was his duty as a hero to prevent Penguin from using the Kryptonite, but it was his duty as a brother to make sure Dick was okay. But Damian had said that it was his fault that Dick was in the condition that he was. Why would Dick even want to see him? Jason couldn't go back there. Not now, not when he almost killed his little brother. This is exactly why Jason's mom didn't care, because Jason was a failure. If he couldn't even protect his family, how could he even begin to try to protect his city from Penguin? Jason looked up at Kyle's face and knew that if Jason backed out, then Kyle, being the stupid, selfless hero he is, would go after Cobblepot alone. Jason couldn't let him do that, not after everything Kyle has done for him.

 

 

* * *

 

Bruce was lurking outside of Two-Face's lair. A large abandoned building in the middle of his turf was recently renovated to be a more suitable lair for a supervillain. Every door and window was wired with defense systems to prevent anyone from getting in and there were guards patrolling the building at all times. Batman knew getting in would be tough, but not impossible. Through the skylight would be the best way through, but it would draw too much attention from the guards. 

Bruce was pulling out his grapple to see if he could find a better vantage point when he saw movement within the building. Two-Face slammed one of the interior doors open, a scowl on his face. A man and a woman timidly followed him. The man wore white and had a gun in his hand. The woman was in black with a knife strapped to her thigh. They stopped close to the exit and Two-Face turned on his heel to face them. 

The villain started yelling, but Bruce couldn't hear what they were saying from this distance. He pulled out a high-tech surveillance device and listened into their conversation. 

"-that shipment is what would've won us this war, you imbeciles!! Now, well, now someone is going to pay for losing that crate." Two-Face pulled out his coin, the silver glinting in the red lights of Gotham's downtown district. He played with it for a few seconds, Bruce getting ready to drop into the building through the skylight when the man spoke. 

"We can find it, sir, please. We-we know who took it." The man begged. Two-Face regarded them for a second before putting the coin back into his pocket. He gestured for them to continue and the woman picked off where the man left off. 

"Penguin, it was his men. On da security footage, they stole that crate but left everything else alone. We woulda gone after them," the man nodded fervently at this part, "but those stupid brats showed up." 

"Come on sir, just give us this chance," the man begged. Harvey contemplated for a minutes before turning to the pair and giving them a deadline of 36 hours to find the mystery crate. Bruce wanted to investigate further, but Jason was his first priority right now. Bruce picked up his grapple, preparing to smash through the skylight to interrogate Two-face when his comm crackled to life. 

"Batman?" Tim's voice flooded into his ear. Bruce grunted, which roughly translated to 'Yes?'. "We found him, we found Jason." Bruce paused, slowly bring his grapple back down to his hip. 

"Where?" Bruce barked, standing up straighter. 

"After hours of sifting through security footage, I found that Jason purchased five different tickets at Gotham Airport, using cash for all of them. There were tickets for London, Sydney, Rio, Coast City, and Central City. I then looked into places where Jason would go into the city and I found a clip from a traffic camera in Coast City where Jason got out of a taxi about five blocks from Hal Jordan's and Kyle Rayner's apartment." Tim explained to Bruce. Batman quickly summoned the Batmobile using the remote control in his gloves. Jumping into the car, Bruce transferred the call to the screen. Tim's face showed up as well as the footage he had recovered. 

"How quickly can you get the Batplane ready?" Bruce asked, speeding through the streets of downtown Gotham. His heart was racing, but it wasn't from the adrenaline of his slightly reckless driving. It had been two days since he had last seen his son. Bruce had been a wreck, he hasn't slept and was throwing himself into the search for Jason. Tim hasn't slept either and Damian only got a few hours while he was looking over Dick. Even Alfred was worrying, showing by the number of cookies he stressed baked. Hearing Tim's voice and the news he brought elated Bruce. 

"It is already powered up, I'll be waiting for you to get back before we go," Tim said turning to the side so Bruce could see the black plane hovering above the launch pad in the cave. Bruce nodded. 

"Thank you, Tim," Bruce said before hanging up the call, hitting the gas, hoping he won't miss his son again.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Damian walked downstairs with a mission to retrieve new bedsheets. After he told Dick what happened, the little boy broke his stitches yelling at him. Alfred, thank god, showed up in time to calm the boy down and fix his wounds. But the damage was done, and Damian wasn't referring to the blood-stained bedsheets. Damian realized how wrong he was and now Jason was gone and who knew if they would find him again. 

It wasn't Jason who convinced Dick to come with him, in fact, it was the other way around. Both boys, not just Jason made a mistake, but Damian overreacted. He told two of the most important people in his life that he didn't even care about them. In fear of losing Dick, Damian just lost Tim and Jason. He wanted so badly to fix things, to find Jason, to talk to them both. To tell them he made a mistake, to show how much he truly does care, but right now, Dick was hurt and Damian needed to keep watch over his youngest brother. 

Lost in thought, Damian almost ran right into Tim. It was silent for a few seconds. Tim glared at him throughout those few seconds, before turning on his heel and walking the other way. Panicking, Damian reached forwards are grabbed his little brother's arm. Tim stopped, but not before yanking his arm out of Damian's grasp. 

"What?" The venom in his voice nearly made Damian flinch, but he regained his composure. 

"Drake, I'm-I-just-I-" Damian tried to get the apology out of his mouth, but his throat suddenly seemed dry and his mind blank. Tim glared at him again. 

"Look, save your insults for someone else," Damian definitely flinched at that, and started to explain his true goal when Tim kept talking, "We think we found Jason and if you will excuse me I need to go find my brother." Damian didn't miss the use of 'my brother' instead of 'our brother'. 

"Is he okay?" Damian asked softly. Tim's lips pushed together into a thin line. 

"Well, if someone," he gave a pointed look at Damian, "hadn't driven him off, we might know that now wouldn't we? I have to go, stay with Dick and don't mess him up either." Tim then turned back to the direction of the cave, leaving Damian in the hallway wondering how he could possibly fix things.

 

* * *

 

 

Batman and Red Robin made their way towards Hal Jordan's apartment building, gliding through the night of Coast City. Gotham City was constantly bustling with energy, people always on the move, but underneath that energy, there was a dangerous edge, a warning. 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here' and all that. Coast City was a nice change of pace. People moved, but they weren't running from things, as people in Gotham normally were, they were chasing dreams. The warm California environment and the peace the city exhibited calmed Bruce's racing heart. Not much, but still.

Red Robin dropped into the gap between buildings, picking the lock on the window to the apartment. He disappeared seconds later and Bruce followed him in. The apartment was messier than Bruce remembered, but he had only been here once when Hal hadn't taken in a kid. Paintings of all types, abstract, realistic, cartoonish, finished, unfinished, sketches, etc. were hanging on the walls or resting on the floor. The paint was rubbed into the couch and chip bags and a lone cup of hot chocolate rested on the coffee table. Red Robin reappeared, having come out of the hallway.

"There is nobody home," Bruce's heart-rate spiked once the words left Tim's mouth.

"You checked everywhere?" He asked. Tim ran his hand through his hair before nodding;

"Yeah."

Bruce left out a curse before venturing into the kitchen. It was empty, due to that fact Lantern's spent most of their time in space. The only decoration was a note written in chicken scrawl on the fridge reading;

Hal,

I'm working a case with Jason. Penguin stole some Kryptonite X from 2-Face. C u soon.

-Kyle

Bruce took the sticky note off the fridge, the ink smudging slightly under his glove. The note was fresh. Bruce turned to Tim, handing him the note. His second eldest son read the note, then looked up at Bruce.

"This says Kryptonite X. What does this mean?" The conversation Bruce heard earlier flashed into his mind.

"It means that Jason could be in danger if we don't get back to Gotham now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Hope y'all liked the chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sry for the lack of update in a while. This chapter is a little longer than the others, hope that makes up for the delay a little. I hope y'all enjoy! <3

The green glow faded as Kyle set Jason down on the docks surrounding the Iceberg Lounge. The towering club was a place that breeds corruption and deceit, but it was still a place that intrigued Jason. Bruce had never allowed Jason or Dick to come here, there were no escape routes except through air or water and Penguin and his men have a reputation of cruelty to trespassers. Of course, Jason knew this long before Bruce had told him so. His mom worked here, as a waitress. Well, she used too, then she got sick and she stopped going to work, stopped making dinner for Jason, stopped caring. But Jason was over that, right? 

Even so, Bruce's lectures didn't go to nothing. Jason knew the in and outs of this place like the back of his hand. He knew the place was practically a fortress, but Jason wasn't trained by one of the World's Greatest crime fighters for nothing.

Jason quickly tore the grate of off the nearest vent, Kyle climbing in after him. After the vent was firmly back in place, Jason motioned to Kyle to follow behind him. Jason started making his way through the air ducts, suddenly remembering a case a few months ago when he and Tim had to crawl through the ventilation system in Lex Corp Tower to gain info of Luthor's latest illegal dealing. Then he was hit with a memory of taking down Harley Quinn with Bruce. Sparring with Damian. Watching Star Wars with Dick. More and more memories hit Jason until he was on the verge of tears once again. A few days ago, Jason did everything to get away from his family, but now? All he wanted to do is go home.

"Jay? You good?" Kyle's voice echoed from behind him and Jason realized he had stopped. 

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm... fine." Kyle gave him a weird look before hitting his foot and telling him to hurry up. Jason gave a small smirk before kicking his hand. Turning to Jason's right, he crawled a few more feet before stopping at another grate. Kyle raised his eyebrow, well, Jason assumed he did, that mask he wore really was a piece of work.

Jason looked down through the grate to find a hallway swarming in men in black, heh, Men in Black. There were four men at the door of what Jason knew to be the Penguin's control center and office and six more guards pacing the hallway. There were 5 more guards, one standing at each of the remaining doors. They were all armed to the teeth and guarding the room where Penguin was most likely hoarding the Kryptonite X.

Looking back up at Kyle, Jason gestured to Kyle, hoping to convey the fact they need to attack. Once Jason had done so many fake punches and explosion mimes that Kyle had no choice but to understand, he held up three fingers. Once Jason reached zero, he kicked the grate out of place and jumped onto the floor below. Kyle was right behind him, flying down and whacking one of the dudes in the face with a glowing green hammer. Jason turned a kicked the guard nearest to him right between the legs. Taking the ear of the same man he slammed his head into the wall, knocking him out cold. 

Gunshots started going off and batarangs started flying. Kyle was yeeting a glowing green Captain America shield at everything in sight and Jason was enjoying wreaking havoc, but then again, when does he not. In no time at all, all 15 big, bad, and uglies were down for the count.

"That was honestly sad. I mean, not gonna lie, I was really looking forward to more of a fight," Kyle pouted, tying the unconscious men in green rope. Jason snorted before responding;

"Well, sometimes, it just be like that sometimes." Kyle gave Jason a deadpan look before walking over to the large metal door.

"Ready?"

"Ready." Kyle created a giant sledgehammer and smashed the door open, revealing the horrors within.

__________________________

 

Dick scrolled through his phone, letting out a sigh. Bedridden, he couldn't talk to anyone unless they decided to visit. Damian was here constantly, but after Dick found out, he has been giving him the silent treatment ever since he found out about what happened with Jason. Tim popped in twice, first when he found out he had woken up and later when he was checking in to see how he was feeling. Bruce has been here a few times, each time he practically smothered Dick in affection, not that Dick didn't enjoy it.

Jason didn't show up, which is kind of a given. Dick still missed him. He missed how Jason would play with him when Damian and Tim were busy. He missed how Jason would always reenact all the drama going on in whatever classical fiction novel he was reading in funny voices. He missed his brother.

Damian suddenly popped up from his chair where he too was scrolling through his phone. His eyes were wide and his movements were slightly more uncoordinated than usual.

"I have to go, Grayson," Damian said, pausing at the doorway, throwing the words over his shoulder. Dick debated between retaining his silent treatment and conceding to his curiosity. In the end, his curiosity won and Dick jumped out of his bed to chase after Damian.

"Wait! Dami, wait!" Dick scrambled down the stairs, jumped right onto his older brother's back. The taller boy stopped.

"Grayson, this is important. Stay here," he said, pulling Dick of his back and gently putting him down on the stairs. Dick popped back up, ignoring the pain that went flaring up his side from the stitches.

"Is it Jason?" Damian stayed silent, "Did they find him?" Damian paused right when they reached the grandfather clock that leads to the Batcave, he looked down at Dick. For the first time in the past few days, Damian didn't wince or look guilty at the mention of Jason, this time he looked almost... hopeful.

"They have a lead. The Penguin, Father and Drake suspect Todd is going after him. If what they say is true, and Cobblepot has obtained Kryptonite X, then I need to help them. Stay here with Pennyworth," Damian said before turned to input the correct time into the clock. Dick followed him into the dark stairwell.

"Well, if what you say is true and they found Jason, then I need to be there. He is my brother too," Dick stated, his footsteps firm behind Damian.

"Grayson, you are injured. It would be best to sit out for this. Let Father, Drake, and I handle this," Damian said as he reached the end of the stairs.

"What, like how you handled Jason the other night?" Dick shot back. Damian froze at the comment.

"That was a dirty trick, Grayson."

"I know," Dick said, not giving on his argument. Damian looked him in the eyes for a few seconds before he seemingly relented.

"Fine, but you are to stay on the plane at all times and do not go seeking out conflict. Do you understand me, Grayson?" Dick nodded sprinting over to where his uniform was.

"You got it, Dami! Let's go save our brother!"

___________________________

 

Bruce sat at the controls of the Batplane. He was wearing what Dick and Jason like to call, his 'Resting Brooding Face' or 'RBF'. Tim sat nearby, hacking into the security footage of the Iceberg Lounge, hoping to locate Jason before he goes and does something stupid. When Bruce picked them up, Damian and Dick immediately went to sit in the back. Damian was meticulously organizing his belt pouches, which seemed to be a nervous habit that ran in the family if the suddenly organized case files in the Batcomputer were anything to go by. Dick was confined to his chair due to a mixture of Bruce and Damian's overprotectiveness and the stitches that Dick had already stressed earlier. His confinement, however, didn't stop him from bouncing around his chair and fidgeting with anything he could get his tiny hands on.

When Bruce switched the plane to autopilot, that was their cue. Everyone got up, double-checked their uniform and waited by the hanger door. When Bruce got out of his chair, Tim started talking.

"Based on what I gather from the Cobblepots security system, Jason and Kyle seemed to have entered through the ventilation systems and are traveling that way. Unfortunately, Cobblepot doesn't have motion sensors set up in the vents but based on previous knowledge can guess that they are probably going to head for the Control Center as that is where Penguin will probably keep the Kryptonite X. If Cobblepot manages to figure out how to use the K-X, then the piece of Green-K everyone keeps should have the same effect on him as it would on a regular Kryptonian."

"Should?" Damian asked, crossing his arms and looking down on Tim.

"Well, yeah, K-X is largely untested, we don't know much about it, only what it can do. Even so, we don't know the full extent of its abilities," Tim said, tugging on his gloves. Damian scoffed.

"Great, so Todd is jumping headfirst into danger, danger that is orchestrated by Cobblepot, and we aren't even sure how to stop him."

"Damian, Jason, like you said, is in danger. We can't waste time on petty remarks. We need to focus on the mission," Bruce interjected, walking over to where the open button on the doors is. "Do you want to save Jason or not?"

Damian pursed his lips before responding with; "Of course, Father."

"Then let's go," Bruce hit the button, to reveal the Iceberg Lounge situation right underneath them. He took one step back before launching himself into the inky, night sky. Damian and Tim were right behind him, Dick yelling random encouraging things from the jet.

The sensation of flying through the air never got old for Tim, no matter how many times he did it. The wind rushing through his hair, the feeling of weightlessness. It was like he could almost forget about all the bad in the world as he was free-falling. It was no wonder Dick missed the circus so much. To do this every day, with parents who actually went out of their way to spend time with him, it must have been great.

Unfortunately, it didn't last forever. The crashing sound of windows brought Tim's head back to the present. Bruce went straight through the window of Penguins control center/office, his cape acting like a parachute to break the fall. Damian and Tim were right behind him.

The room was big and decorative. The giant fishtank against the wall and the diamond chandelier just oozed laundered money. Tim hated it already.

There were about ten guys in the room, three of which were businessmen, including Penguin. The remaining seven started firing at them, but they dodge behind cover. Normally, Tim would make a quip or two to try and balance out the moodiness of the other two, but Jason was missing and they couldn't waste this opportunity to find him again.

Bruce growled before taking out a few batarangs and toss them at the enemies with more force than usual. They all hit their marks, sending three men crashing down instantly. The brothers used this to their advantage, jumping out when they were distracted. Damian attacked the guy closest to them, using a nerve strike and knocking him out cold. Tim wasn't feeling as charitable. He grabbed one of their men and tossed him into another. A third came charging at him, but Tim hit him with an uppercut. The first guy had gotten back up, but Tim kicked him in the side hard, knocking the air out of him. The second thug charged at him but Tim grabbed his arm and slammed his face into the ground, tripping up the thrid thug in the process. Damian snuck up behind the first thug and tased him right as Tim lifted the two other thugs and smashed their faces together.

With the violence going on, two of the businessmen sprinted towards the door but were suddenly sent flying when a giant green construct smashed straight through their exit. When the glow faded, it revealed two boys standing on the other side of the door. One of which was wearing a Green Lantern uniform, but the other was the only one Tim cared about.

Jason stood there, staring back at them in seemingly shocked and apprehensive. Tim scanned him for injuries, seeing no visible ones. He hair was a bit messed up, but considering more bodies are laying outside the office, it would make sense. Tim took a tentative step forward, to see how Jason would react. The boy looked nervously a Damian, then at Bruce, before his eyes rested on Tim. Tim thought he was about to run, and he did, but he did so right into Tim's arms. He pulled the boy closer and Jason let out a sob and what sounded like a muffled apology. If Tim was going to be honest, he felt like crying too, but unfortunately, Cobblepot had to butt in.

"I'd hate to interrupt such a touching moment, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave and I'll only ask nicely once," He said pulling out a rock that was glowing a sickly green, Kryptonite X.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took forever to update. I just kept getting distracted and I'm going to try to work on that. This is the final chapter y'all!! Yay!!! I hope you guys enjoy my horrible writing and even worse ending bc I suck. <3 <3
> 
> Guess I never got around to including Roy. Oops. Sry :(

"𝘐'𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦."

Tim still held Jason firmly in his arms, but instead of the comforting feeling he brought a minute ago, Tim was trying to push Jason behind him. Both Bruce and Damian got into fighting positions. They somehow managed to simultaneously to keep an eye on Jason and peg Penguin with the most terrifying glare he has ever seen. Kyle was standing by the door, still looking fairly confused.

Cobblepot waltzed out for behind his desk tossing the Kryptonite X from hand to hand. A twisted grin was plastered on his god ugly face. If Jason was any less mature, he would've laughed at how threatening he tried to look as he waddled in their direction. They called him Penguin for a reason.

"Put the rock down, Cobblepot," Bruce warned him, taking a step forward, Batarangs in both his hands. Damian took their father's cue and stepped up to stand next to Bruce. Bruce and Damian were standing between Jason and Tim, and The Penguin, so he had to crane his neck to see the villain.

"Oh, please. I sincerely hope you aren't naive enough to think I'll just up and surrender, Batman. For years I have been mocked and underestimated. I have put my blood, sweat, and tears into rebuilding this city. Crime is in its roots and I will be the one to cultivate it, to let it grow. I am the true ruler of Gotham City and I will show them that The Penguin will not bow down to any-" Oswald's "terrifying" villain monologue was cut off by the blur of red, yellow, and green that came flying through the window behind him. The figure hit the Kryptonite out of his hand, where Kyle quickly locked it inside a glowing, green safe construct. The casino owner fell onto his face and the blur landing on his back. 

Dick Grayson checked to make sure Penguin was unconscious before putting his hands on his hips and saying; "Well, that was anti-climatic." Relief bloomed in Jason's chest when he saw his little brother alive and healthy. He wanted to hug him and say how happy he was that he was okay when Jason remembered why Dick was shot in the first place. It was his fault that his brother was hurt, Jason didn't deserve that relief. But when Dick flipped off Penguin and ran towards Jason, wrapping his tiny arms around his waist, Jason allowed himself to be selfish enough to hug back.

Jason closed his eyes, humming quietly as he threaded his fingers through Dick's raven hair. He felt Tim's hand pull both the younger boys close to him.

"'M sorry, Dickie," Jason mumbled into Tim's chest.

"'S okay. Not your fault." Jason needed to hear that, even if it wasn't true.

"Jason." The name was spoken softly almost in disbelief. Jason opened his eyes and saw Bruce standing hesitantly nearby. Despite the cowl, Jason saw many emotions flicker across his face. Jason carefully let go of his brothers before he walked over to his adoptive father. Jason looked up at Bruce for a moment, before jumping into his arms.

Bruce deflated, almost as if he had been holding his breath for a long time. He held Jason close to his chest, the cape falling around Jason, just as soft as he remembered it. "Oh, Jay. Don't you ever do that again, okay?" All Jason did was nod in response to the frankly terrified tone Bruce used. "I missed you so much." Jason was not crying and if Dick tries to tell you otherwise then he was lying. They stayed like this for a while, safe in each other's arms until the outside world came knocking.

"Uh, so, um, what do I do with this exactly?" Kyle spoke up, gesturing to the glowing, alien rock. As far as Jason knew, they didn't have a proper way of disposing of the alien material, so he looked to Bruce to guidance. Bruce walked over and Kyle released his hold on the Kryptonite. Picking it up and putting into one of his lead lining pouches, Bruce said;

"I'll take it to Clark, he can store it in his fortress. In the meantime, the rest of you need to return home. Lantern, your help was appreciated, but I want you and your ring out of my city." Kyle gave Bruce a sheepish thumbs up before smiling at Jason and flying out through the destroyed windows. At that, Bruce turned and fixed Dick with a glare, "And you, jumping out of a plane right into a dangerous situation involving alien substances without permission would not be involved in any situation. The fact that you are healing from a bullet wound does not help your case. You are grounded until further notice and you will stay in bed until you are fully healed." Dick lowered his head, muttering an apology. Jason pitied him, he has been at the receiving end of Bruce's disappointed-dad-glare far too many times. Bruce's face, however, softened up. "But you did save the day in the end. I'm proud Dick, but if you ever do that again you will not see the light of day until college."

Dick stood up a little straighter at that.

The plane ride home was quiet, but not necessarily uncomfortable. Bruce rewrapped Dick's wounds using the onboard medical station. Tim was in the cockpit guiding the plane back to the manor. Damian sat in the corner, occasionally giving Jason strange looks, but Jason made a point of ignoring him. The things Damian said that night still stuck with him, replaying themselves every time Damian looked his way. Too many times has Jason been told that no one cares for him, if not in so many words. His dad told him every time he came home drunk and every time he was carted off to jail without thinking of Jason. His mom told him every time she blanked out days at a time because of her addiction. The social workers and cops told him every time they tried to return him to the same foster homes that were carting children off for a few extra dollars. Bruce told him every time he questioned what Jason said, never trusting him enough. Tim told him every time he left weeks at a time, leaving Jason alone in a house filled with people that were always too busy for him. Dick always cared, he cared for everyone, even criminals, and it made Jason wonder if Dick only cared because it's just what he does, not that Jason has earned it.

Running away made him realize how much he missed his family, how much he cared for them. Tim, Dick, even Bruce, were overjoyed when Jason returned. Maybe, just maybe, they really did care. Damian just stood there, watching as if he had something to say, but not enough courage to say it. He was probably waiting until he and Jason were alone to tell Jason that he wished that he had stayed away. So when the Batplane landed, Bruce took off to Metropolis, and Tim and Dick stayed in the cave to check for any injuries Bruce had missed, Jason knew what was coming.

Damian asked to speak with him in the living room and Jason's heart started to race. He knew what was coming, the rejection and the realization that he wasn't a welcome part of the family. So, when Damian said: "I'm sorry." one could say that Jason was surprised.

"I- what?" Many emotions flickered across Damian's face, guilt being the most prominent.

"Todd- Jason, I crossed the line. I said things that were cruel and untrue out of anger and fear. Yes, I care for Richard, but you are my brother as well. I have never said this, but Jason I care for you, no matter what you do you shall always be my brother. I should not have blamed you, it was not your fault that Richard is a self-sacrificing idiot." Jason gave a watery-snort at that, trying to wipe the tear from his eyes. "So, Jason, I am sorry, so very sorry. I can only hope you can forgive-"

Damian was cut off by the 13-year-old throwing himself at Damian. Jason felt Damian catching him, hesitating before holding him in what Damian would deny later was a hug. Jason pulled back after a second, looking into Damian's eyes for a moment before saying;

"I'll only accept your apology if you take me on a mission with you and Jon and you spar with me whenever I want. You also have to take me to go see Hamlet at the Gotham Theater." Damian raised an eyebrow.

"I believe Richard would say here, 'Would you like fries with that?'" Jason snorted.

"Uh, yeah. Throw in some first edition Jane Austin books and you gotta deal." Jason said wrapping his limbs around Damian's torso, clinging to him like a koala. Jason rested his head into the crook of Damian's neck.

"Tt. Might take me a bit, but I think I can manage that." Damian used his hand to pull Jason away from him slightly to look him in the eyes. "But what I said before, I was serious and I meant every bit, Jason. And I've never been nice to you, not as much as I should have. I'd like to change that, with both you and Timothy... if you'll let me?" The last part was shyer that Damian ever spoke.

"Yeah, I- I'd like that." Jason cuddled back into Damian, relaxing into his shoulders. Damian rubbed circles into his back before he suddenly pried Jason off of him.

"Now, that was emotional and all, but I have exceeded my limit for physical affection for the next month," Damian said, smoothing out the black suit he wore under his Nightwing costume. Nevertheless, Jason slipped his hand into Damian's, pulling him towards the cave.

"Too bad, you still gotta talk to Timmy," Jason said grinning back at his brother. Damian's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Might as well keep the touchy-feely going," Jason said, shrugging as he dragged his older brother behind him. Once down in the cave, they saw Tim cleaning up the med-bay, Dick nowhere in sight. "Hey, Tim!" Jason waved, before shoving Damian towards him and sprinting out of the cave.

Tim gave Damian a confused glance, looking between Damian and the spot where Jason was just standing. Tim placed the bandages into the drawer.

"What are you doing here?" Tim asked, his confusion quickly turning into suspicion. Damian internally winced at that. He struggled to find the right words to say, Tim prompting him with a sharp: "Damian!?"

"I'm here to apologize, I've already told Jason, but I felt the need to inform you as well. The things I said during our arguments were unacceptable. I have been cruel to you ever since you came here. Truth be told, it was because I felt threatened. You were so intelligent and it wasn't hard to see how proud Father was of you. I thought you were trying to replace me withing my own family and that scared me. I know Father had always had a problem with my temper and the way I was raised. You were just better in every way. So I lashed out, at you and later at Jason. It wasn't until Richard that I realized my mistake. I realized that my insecurities caused me to create two enemies when I could have had two brothers, and... I'm sorry, for that, for everything." Tim had an undecipherable look on his face for a moment. The silence stretched out before Tim spoke again.

"Damian, I'm not trying to replace you, I never was. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Dad loves you for who you are, temper and all. He is proud of you, proud of all of us. And the arguments, they were Jason and I's fault just as much as they were yours. So let's just stop replaying the blame game. Lets' just- just start over," Tim said, a small, reassuring smile on his face. "Let's be brothers."

Tim reached out and grabbed Damian's hand, squeezing it. Damian looked at Tim and thought about the past few years. He thought of the recent disasters and old arguments. He looked back on every memory he had with Tim, focusing on the good ones. It only just hit him how little he knows about the younger man. He didn't know anything about his social life, school, or even his favorite tv shows or movies. Looking into Tim's bright blue eyes, filling with so much hope and he could help but make a promise to himself. A promise to protect his brothers, to be closer with them, to become family again. He made that promise because he has made too many mistakes to miss any more of their lives. Screw his pride, he was going to change for the people he loves.


End file.
